


You're In The Middle Of The Ride

by sparkinside (boomersoonerash)



Series: 52 Weeks of Stories 2 [11]
Category: Hanson (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Conversations, F/M, Mistakes, One Night Stands, Post-Divorce, Pregnancy, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-06
Updated: 2018-11-06
Packaged: 2019-08-19 12:53:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16534946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/boomersoonerash/pseuds/sparkinside
Summary: Natalie is divorced and finds herself in a situation she never expected to be in again.





	You're In The Middle Of The Ride

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Stressed

Running a hand through her hair, Natalie leaned against the counter of her kitchen with a sigh. Feeling a bit more stressed out than usual.

Then again how could she not be? She'd just found out she was pregnant with her sixth baby and while she loved babies this one had definitely not been planned.

She'd just divorced Taylor last year and so she'd of course thought her baby making days were over. She hadn't really saw herself finding anyone who would want the baggage of her plus her five kids.

But then she had found that. In someone who came with their own baggage in the form of his ex-wife Kate. The same Kate who was her best friend and of course his four kids with her.

Natalie knowing things with Zac would be complicated and not just because of Kate who he had divorced seven months ago but also because of her own ex-husband, the man who was his brother and the father of her five other kids. Even with that knowledge though things had just clicked between them when she had went to a celebration of Taylor's birthday.

One for the adult friends in Taylor's life, no kids having been allowed. Mainly because it had been held at a bar which was Isaac's idea since he had been the one throwing the birthday party.

Natalie almost wanting to blame the alcohol for why she and Zac had clicked but she couldn't because she knew deep down they had always gotten along well. She had sometimes wished she had married him instead during the times in her marriage when Taylor had been a bastard and there had been a lot.

Zac admitting the morning after they had sex that he had done the same during rough patches with Kate.

Despite that confession though she hadn't seen Zac since that night. The both of them going on as if nothing happened or at least Natalie had been doing that until today.

Finally caving after a week of off and on throwing up and just being tired in general. Deciding to go to the doctor where she had been given the news that she was pregnant.

She and Zac had conceived a baby and now here she was left trying to figure out what to do or well really she was left wondering how to tell Zac that their night together had created a baby.

A small part of her wanting to call Kate up and talk but she couldn't call Kate up. Not when Kate was Zac's ex-wife and Natalie knew she wouldn't like this situation.

Natalie had a tiny feeling that despite the divorce, Kate still loved Zac on some level and this would only make her best friend angry. Something she didn't want to do yet.

Though she'd be angry once everyone fully knew about the baby because eventually there'd be no way she could hide it. Once Zac knew they'd have to find a way to tell everyone else before her body decided to do that for her with a bump.

Maybe by then Natalie could handle Kate being angry just like Zac would have to deal with an angry Taylor.

"God damn it," she whispered to herself. "Why couldn't you have just asked him to use a condom? Didn't you learn the first time you slept with a Hanson?" she questioned herself with a shake of her head.

Moving away from her kitchen counter she headed into the living room where her cell phone was. Deciding she was going to call Zac and ask him to come over for dinner. Her kids were at her mom's house this weekend so they'd be alone and she could tell him the news then.

It was always better to deliver life changing news like this face to face. She had learned that with Taylor by not doing it face to face. She'd told him over a phone call while she had been in tears.

Needless to say that hadn't gone over too well and while she had already repeated one past mistake by making a second oops baby with a Hanson brother, she refused to repeat a second past mistake.

No, this time she'd do something different or try too and hope things went better. At least in some ways.

*****

"So how come you asked me over for dinner?" Zac asked as he sat down on Natalie's couch after they had both came into the living room after dinner.

Natalie having the courage to cook up a grilled chicken dish because it was one of the only things she could keep down it seemed.

That and ginger ale.

"What you didn't buy that I just wanted to see you?" Natalie asked as she gave him a playful smile. Moving to sit beside him on the couch and doing her best not to look at him.

It was a nervous tick and one Taylor had always hated her doing. More than likely because he liked to always have eyes on him even in bad situations.

"No," Zac spoke bluntly. "So what's the real reason you invited me over Natalie Anne?" he questioned her again and she was sure by the use of her middle name now he wanted the truth from her.

Natalie heaving a small sigh because she almost wanted to not tell him. Hating that it seemed she was getting cold feet in telling him he was going to be a father again and that this pregnancy was going to complicate everything for them.

Taking a deep breath she finally looked at him, "I'm pregnant," she blurted out deciding to just say it all in one breath and one go. Knew it was easier because beating around the bush or making a long dramatic speech would have just made her cold feet worse than what it had been.

"You're pregnant?" Zac asked shock evident in his voice and all Natalie could do was nod her head, not sure if she could speak the words again.

A silence falling over her and Zac both after she nodded her head. It was a silence she didn't like nor was it comfortable at all.

It almost made her want to scream but she didn't. Instead she bit her lip and just looked at Zac, seeing a mix of emotions on his face and she wasn't sure if any of them were happy emotions.

"I'm sorry," she finally spoke breaking the uncomfortable silence with an apology. "I know this...it's not planned. Neither of us were smart when we slept together and honestly I should have asked you to use a condom," she sighed with a small shake of her head.

Hating that she felt like that eighteen year old girl again, finding out she was pregnant with her first baby and telling the father in a heap of worry and nerves over a telephone call.

At least this time she hadn't been a coward but maybe being a coward would have been better because she wouldn't have to see Zac's face. Wouldn't have to live with knowing he seemed as unhappy over this pregnancy as she was and one of them should have been happy.

Especially since Natalie knew she was keeping the baby. There was no way she could get an abortion and adoption just wasn't something she could see herself wanting to do either. Knew she'd get attached if she carried the baby for nine months.

Zac shook his head as well, his hand reaching out to rest against Natalie's own. Natalie hating how the simple act alone was enough to calm some of her worries.

It shouldn't have been able too since she knew he didn't want this situation either. Hell, he was probably comforting her so he could tell her she was doing this alone. That she'd have no support from him and she'd just have to make up some lie on who the baby's father was.

But no, that couldn't be what he was doing or at least she hoped not. Despite her fears.

Zac was a good man, better than Taylor had ever been.

"It's not just your fault," Zac told her with a small frown. "I should have asked if you were..." he started but stopped and she knew what he was going to say. He should have asked if she were on the pill or if she had some sort of birth control.

Of course she had none because again she had never thought she'd be with a man again. Then alcohol and Zac had happened.

Blushing Natalie looked away from Zac, her eyes landing on where his hand was still on hers. "I wasn't..I never expected that I'd be with anyone again. I mean who wants a woman with five kids?" she asked him and her blush grew. "I never saw myself having sex with you obviously," she laughed a bit uncomfortably as she shrugged her shoulders.

"I think any man would be dumb to turn you down just because you have five kids," Zac said and his words made Natalie finally look up at him again. "You're an incredible woman Nat," he smiled some and his hand squeezed hers softly after he said that. 

Natalie again feeling just a bit more calm.

"Thanks," she told him her voice coming out soft. "But I am still sorry for this situation," she said as she shrugged again. "It's not ideal."

"It's not," Zac agreed with her as his hand finally moved away from hers. "But we'll find a way to navigate it together," he said and she was truly surprised by his words though she knew she shouldn't be. 

Zac was a good man and he wouldn't leave her to do this alone. They were having a baby and they'd go through the motions of that together.

Because that was what two responsible or semi responsible adults did.


End file.
